The world of sports contract negotiations can make the layman’s head explode. How, we wonder, could center Timofey Mozgov sign a $64 million deal with the Lakers after averaging 1.2 points in 13 playoffs game with the Cavaliers?

Economics (think television payouts) often dictate the terms. So, too, do foresight, loyalty and marketing value, which is why the contracts of three of the Valley’s most popular sports figures – Tyrann Mathieu, Paul Goldschmidt and Shane Doan – are triggering fan angst.

First, the facts.

The Coyotes captain’s deal expired July 1 but the Diamondbacks first baseman and Cardinals safety have time left on their contracts. Goldschmidt is in the third year of a five-year deal and Mathieu has one season remaining.

Both sides agreed to the contracts and teams are under no obligation to renegotiate.

Some players, for example, outperform their contracts. In a good-faith measure, a team can rip up the current deal and deliver a new one. That happened in March with the Kansas City Royals and catcher Salvador Perez.

Sometimes teams will renegotiate contracts or get an early jump on extensions to save money on a deal that could cost more in the future.

The value of a player from a marketing standpoint can factor in, too, which is surely the case with the trio of Mathieu, Goldschmidt and Doan.

So while the “a contract is a contract” philosophy in us finds the current model of sports negotiations extravagant, the sports fans in us must understand there is an art to the deal to remain competitive in a pro sports environment.

Mathieu’s situation is the most complicated of the bunch. Many thought the Cardinals would have a deal worked out by now with the popular player, a belief complicated by a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport in May that the team and Mathieu’s agent were “deep in negotiations” and that if all went well, an extension could be done “before everyone breaks for the summer.”

His value, of course, goes beyond the field. He is a passionate leader, a role model for redemption and a fan favorite because of his honesty and love for the organization.

And who can blame him for wanting to get as much as he can as soon as he can. NFL contracts aren’t guaranteed. Teams have leverage. Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola agreed to restructure his contract in May, taking a pay cut of approximately $4.4 million from his previous deal, instead of accepting his release.

Sure the Cardinals could wait until deep into the season to see what a healthy-again Mathieu looks like. But that could insult both fan and player, who definitely outperformed his initial contract.

On the surface, Goldschmidt’s situation seems like it shouldn’t be an issue. Former General Manager Kevin Towers should be commended for seeing the value in the player who showed promise when the five-year, $32 million deal was signed in 2013 but had yet to develop into one of the best in the game.

The first baseman is not one to discuss it and said Wednesday that it’s “not something I think about at all. I just go out there and play.”

But news that he recently changed agents -- and is now represented by Excel Sports Management and Casey Close, who is Zack Greinke’s agent -- suggests he is bracing for a big payday in the future. His contract runs through 2018 with a club option in ’19.

Will there come a time he feels his contract should be reworked? Or hopes the team gets an early jump on an extension? Would the lack of either cause strife?